Hooked on Stress
by goldpiece
Summary: January CBPC: Someone has their secret hobby uncovered.


AN: Okay, this is a little bizarre, but I hope you all enjoy. It involves a rather "crafty" secret.

Temperance looked at the birthday present sitting on her desk, wondering who it could be from. She set down her belongings and strode purposefully to the small, wrapped gift before picking it up. It was light, so whatever was inside was light weight. After shaking it to determine what was inside, she pulled off the red velvet ribbon and ever so carefully opened the gold paper. The box inside was very carefully opened, and what was inside made her gasp.

The bracelet was made from filigreed silver wire and had freshwater pearls strung along its circumference. It was delicate and beautiful.

"Hey Bren, these tissue depths don't seem quite right. Could you take a …wow, who gave you that?" Angela approached, touching the delicate wire work.

"I don't know. It was just sitting on my desk." Brennan turned the bracelet over in her hands, examining it more closely. There was something unique about its structure. It looked to be crocheted.

"You mean to tell me that someone just left a box on your desk with absolutely no label whatsoever."

"It looks that way."

"Well, put it on. Let's see what it looks like." The two women looked at each other before Temperance slipped the delicate jewelry onto her arm.

"So beautiful," Brennan murmured, watching the play of light over the wire and pearls. With a smile, she sat behind her desk, still trying to determine who it was that left the beautiful gift.

"Are you doing anything this evening? Please tell me you have plans for your birthday," Angela said as she plopped into a chair opposite her best friend's desk.

"Sully's taking me out for lunch, but this evening I'm staying home. I really don't want to go out."

"Nope, sweetie, I forbid you. We're going out, and you're going to have fun."

"Ange…"

"Sorry, but you won't get out of this one. I'm taking you out."

"Fine."

"Wow, I really thought I'd get more of a fight out of you."

"If I said no, you'd continue to pester me in regards to it, so this way I'm just saving us both time and energy." Angela looked at her best friend. Leave it to Brennan to find a logical way around things, whether it was evasion or cajoling.

"All right, then I'll be back in here at five o'clock to take you out."

"Fine." Temperance offered Angela a brief smile before turning to her work. As the artist left, Brennan snuck one more glance at the bracelet. Who could have possibly left it here for her? With a shrug, she pushed the thought from her mind and began her reports.

XxXxX

Sully walked into the lab, the comforting sights and sounds of scientific inquiry filling the space. He waved to Angela as he strode to Tempe's office, whipping the bouquet of peach colored roses behind his back as he stepped into the forensic anthropologist's work space.

"Temperance, happy birthday." Brennan looked up and smiled as he presented the bouquet to her. She smiled as she took the bouquet, but in the back of her mind, she was slightly disappointed. If he was getting her a bouquet of roses, then he probably didn't give her the bracelet.

"Thank you. I don't know if I have anything to put them in…" she looked around her office, finally digging up an old vase, hidden behind some of her souvenir skulls. After filling the vase with water, she placed the flowers inside, and then grabbed her purse to head out to lunch with him. As she swung the purse onto her shoulder, Sully caught sight of the intricate bracelet.

"Wow, I don't think I've seen that before. When did you get it?" He looked at the wire work, frowning. He knew he'd seen it somewhere, but couldn't quite place it.

"Today. It was just sitting on my desk. I don't know who sent it to me."

"Well, whoever did seems to have good taste. It's quite unique."

"It looks crocheted, but I don't think I've ever seen wire used in crochet before." And then it clicked. Sully offered her a smile and led her from the office.

"Seems like you've got a good friend somewhere."

"Yeah, it does seem that way. Where are we going?"

"I thought maybe we could get some Indian."

"Sounds good to me." The anthropologist smiled at the FBI agent and left the Jeffersonian for lunch.

XxXxX

Sully stepped into Booth's office and sat down in a chair across the agent's desk. Booth looked up from his paperwork curiously.

"Can I help you?"

"You know, you took a big risk in her discovering about the bracelet."

"What?"

"That silver and pearl bracelet. I know it came from you. I remember seeing it on your desk yesterday."

"Don't tell her it's from me, okay? I don't want her to get the wrong idea." Sully looked at Booth for a long moment, and began to smile.

"You're hot for your partner, aren't you?"

"What? No, I am not."

"You are. I don't know why you haven't put a move on her by now."

"I'd never want to jeopardize our work relationship."

"Uh-huh. That's why you bought her that bracelet."

"I didn't buy the bracelet."

"What do you mean you didn't…oh, man. You made it didn't you?" Booth looked at Sully, horrified that someone figured it out. The other agent began to laugh.

"I never would have thought that big, bad Booth would excel at needlecrafts."

"Hey, it takes balls to crochet and knit, okay?"

"Yeah, of yarn. Geez, no wonder you're in therapy."

"I'm not in therapy. I'm not."

"Yes Booth, you are."

"Whatever. Look, Dr. Wyatt suggested that I take up a hobby to keep my stress level down. I made the bracelet, and thought Bones might like it, just…don't tell her, okay?"

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Sully got up and left, laughing. He glanced back at Booth, who now seemed to be muttering under his breath. Sully watched as Booth reached into a drawer and pulled out yarn and a hook. Still muttering, he set to work on something. Again, Sully snickered, shaking his head in amusement. If the guys here could call him 'Peanut', then by God, he'd get them to start calling Booth 'Needles". It was, after all, only fair.


End file.
